This invention pertains to spring loaded devices for tossing a baseball into a batter's hit zone for use in batting practice and training, game play of the type using automatic pitching machines, and as a general amusement device involving ball hitting skill.
One particular use of the invention is to provide a mechanism for presenting the ball to a batter in a way that involves more hitting skill and challenge than the popular use of a stationary ball stand. Such known stands, marketed under the name T-BALL, allow the batter to hit a stationary baseball placed on top of a flexible vertical tube mounted on a supporting ground plate. T-BALL stands are used at the entry level of youth baseball leagues, such as Little League, to allow batting skills to develop before the young players are ready for regulation pitching.
During game play the T-BALL stand is placed on home plate by the umpire with the ball resting on the top of the stand, and following a hit, the umpire must remove the stand from the home plate area so as to not interfere with base running. The stationary ball becomes an easy hitting target, not involving the required hand/eye coordination of a moving ball and hence T-BALL batters often lose interest as their skill progresses.
My concept is to provide a ball tossing mechanism that may be used as an intermediate level practice and game play device for presenting a moving ball to the batter and thereby increasing the enjoyment, interest and skill level of the players. The device may be used to enhance batting skill in both practice and game play situations where for example, youth baseball players have not matured to an age bracket where pitching is considered appropriate. In providing such a device, it is an object of my invention to configure the size and height of the toss-up mechanism so that it can be located close to the ground level, preferably flush with or only slightly higher than the home plate itself so as to not interfere with the batter or other player, such as the catcher, when running across or to home plate. It is also an objective to provide the mechanism with only a few relatively simple components so that the cost of the device is affordable for youth baseball and as a game device for general amusement, and to provide a design that is inherently reliable and durable in the given environment.
By way of background of the invention, there are numerous prior mechanisms and devices for pitching, tossing, throwing and propelling various types of game balls including baseballs. Many of the baseball mechanisms are designed to simulate pitching and, in these cases, large, complex mechanisms standing high above ground are provided for propelling the baseball in a substantially horizontal trajectory and with sufficient force to simulate a player's pitch. Other known devices hold or swing the baseball on a tether and/or arm arranged generally at hitting height level and thus also involve a high stand that is located near the batter and interferes with batting practice and especially game play. Another known device, also involving an above ground stand, provides for tossing a ball with both upward and horizontal motion in an arcuate path into the batter's strike zone. Again, such stands present an undesirable and dangerous obstruction to game play and are too complex and expensive for my intented purpose.